Oct 07, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog | 2024-2025 
    
Undergraduate Catalog | 2024-2025

College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences


The College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences (CHESS) is an academic community engaged in advancing the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge in the traditional areas of liberal arts and the earth and social sciences as well as in emerging areas of study. As a community focused on learning and teaching, the College is guided by an unshakeable commitment to humanistic values and ethical conduct, by a creative and entrepreneurial frame of mind, and by an awareness of the global context in which the University exists.

The liberal arts are the core of the University’s educational program, both for students majoring in liberal arts and for students majoring in all other degree programs. As a result, courses offered within the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences are frequently those designated to satisfy University General Education requirements (see the General Education Program ). 

Departments

The College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences consists of these departments/offices:


Degree Programs

Majors

Minors

Honors Programs

Undergraduate Certificates

Graduate Early Entry Programs


Degree Requirements

General Education Requirements

Since all students entering the University must meet the same General Education requirements regardless of major, it is appropriate to concentrate on the completion of those requirements before committing to a specific major.

Undeclared students have time to enroll in courses in several disciplines, which allows them to make a more informed judgment about future career decisions. Advisors have a broad working experience with the requirements for majors and offer assistance as students search for the education choice best suited to their individual needs.

Degree Programs/Majors and Minors Requirements

Students in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences must satisfy the requirements for the degree program(s) in which they are enrolled. Students should consult with their chosen department to make certain they fully understand all degree requirements. Many students also pursue a second degree or even a  minor(s) in conjunction with their major degree program. Students should be familiar with the requirements of any minor program of study they attempt to complete.

All program-level Admission and Progression Requirements are in addition to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Admissions Requirements .

Foreign Language Requirement



All students who earn a degree within the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences* are required to demonstrate proficiency in the language of their choice through the 1202 level.  Proficiency can be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

  • Completing the required coursework at UNC Charlotte
  • Completing three years of the same foreign language in high school through level three
  • Achieving a satisfactory score on the foreign languages placement test (in Spanish, French, or German)
  • Through approved transfer or transient credit earned at a college or university accredited by an accepted accrediting body
  • By transferring in with an A.A., A.S. or A.F.A. degree
  • A combination of the above methods (e.g., placing out of or earning transfer or transient credit for 1201 and completing the 1202 course, completing 1201 and placing out of or earning transfer or transient credit for 1202)

Courses


The following courses offered at UNC Charlotte meet the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences’ foreign language requirement. Please note that the below courses also have prerequisites that students must meet prior to enrolling in the courses.

*Notes:


If students wish to fulfill their requirement with a language not taught at UNC Charlotte they must follow the guidelines for Certification of Proficiency by contacting the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Translation.

This requirement applies to all students entering any degree program within the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences except those students whose primary major is in the College of Engineering and are enrolled in one of the Dual Degree Programs with Physics.

Additionally, students in select departments have to satisfy a proficiency requirement through the intermediate (2000) or advanced (3000) level for their major.  All students in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences should consult with their major department to determine whether or not they are required to complete the intermediate or advanced proficiency requirement as part of their major or related coursework.


Advising

The College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences administers the Office of Advising and Student Services, an advising center for freshmen and transfer students who have enrolled in a major or pre-major within the college.  Professional advisors are available to provide guidance on both first-year and/or pre-major requirements, as well as General Education requirements. The Student Services area of the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences oversees all student services functions for the college, which includes the review of student appeals and requests, as well as academic-related issues that arise among students within CHESS.

The advising team is dedicated to establishing relationships with all CHESS freshmen and pre-major transfer students that help them achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals. The advisors are also dedicated to connecting students to enrichment opportunities in the departments as well as across campus and beyond.


Experiential Learning and Service Opportunities

The college aims to inspire innovative thinking in undergraduate students and contribute to the development of creative problem solvers, innovative leaders, and engaged citizens.  Students are also encouraged to participate in professional work experiences in support of their academic and career development through cooperative education, 49ership, departmental undergraduate research, community-engaged research and service, and internship programs offered to them. The partnership with the University Career Center expands experiential learning offerings so more students graduate with career-related experience. For more information about experiential learning opportunities, please see the University Career Center  section of this Catalog.